WEEK 2: La Guitarra Espanola! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of our musical Journey to Spain!! This is the place to share submissions of the second week! 
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ HAPPY PRACTICING, HAPPY SHARING ↓
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I decided to play through one of the most beautiful pieces written by Torroba (and in general), the sacred second movement of his Sonatina
I played this for my entrance exam for studying with my Prof. Joaquin Clerch and probably haven't played it since (that's why is everything is quite a bit too slow). Time passes so quickly (it's more than 10 years), but the fingers somehow never forget! I went for some impressionistic campanella style fingerings that feel quite special.
There are some wonky bits, bit I think I captured the general feeling for that piece. Some worked better than before, especially around 1:55, and it's probably the only time I use a barred middle finger in 2:03!
And that jazzy feeling in 2:55, ah, I can't get over the beauty of this piece. The whole Sonatina is a gem, but the second movement belongs into my personal hall of fame
And I can't believe I nailed these last artifical harmonics, haha!
(and there's a small bonus peak into the third movement in the end)
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Martin Bravo Martin - wonderful. I've always had an ambition to play this but It's probably beyond my reach - maybe after a few other pieces I would love to play (Asturias, La Catedral, etc). This would be a great piece for a live lesson!
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Aguado - Lesson 35
One last one by Aguado today. He uses this lesson to introduce the "arrastre" or slide (Google translates it as "drag"). Today, we usually say glissandi and portamenti. This piece is not dominated by them, but it does have a few. It might be my favorite of the lessons in this part of the method.
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Eric Phillips That was a nice piece and you played it very well - as always.
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Jack Stewart Thank you, Jack!
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Eric Phillips I don't think I've ever played anything by Aguado, but you've made me a believer! Nice job with the "drag"!
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Steve Pederson Yeah, when I googled the word arrastre and it came up as drag, I was puzzled. When I read on, I figured out it must be what we usually call a slide (especially non-classical guitarists).
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Eric Phillips I love this little gem. You make it shine. Thank you, Eric.
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Eric Phillips Great work Eric
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Hi All
Thank you for your nice comments.
I have listened to and enjoyed all your submissions.
I wrote that I would send and update.
Recording is always so stressfull (of course not compared to performing) but you learn a lot from listening back
In the week I have focused on the difficult and problematic spots and not playing the entire pieces.
Danza del Molinero The conductor found it acceptable. But some segments of the orchestra underperformed.
Have worked on smoothing the introduction -the part on 3 and 4 strings , the transitions , improving the run with the triplets, and seem to have improved the rhythm in the end. in some the tambour with the slur is not easy , yet, to coordinate.
The video is a run-through of the parts I find difficult and have focused on - with repetitions of some where I fail.
Tiento Antiguo worked on the arpeggio with high a on 2 string and the second half of page 2 and the fast run. The fast run I can only manage when I just play and not think "start 1 and 2 strings with i " although I think this is recommended in pumping nylon.
I think the tension release in the arpeggio has improved some.
The video ended up with a run-through of the entire piece, instead of my focus points- Then I somewhat blow the last melody line on the first string- The ending is not satisfactory- I have to listen to some recordings to know what to do with it.
Rafaga that run is really hard.. I should also have trained the last run some more. And some day I hope to do that run together with the softer impressionistic parts.
Best regards Lars
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen wow Lars, such a nice music and it almost sounds really great to my ears...
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen So good, Lars! I am very envious of your scale playing.
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen Lars that is wonderful. You have a great command of your instrument and the music. Thanks for sharing.
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Eric Phillips Thank you . I envy how fast you can learn new material and play it beautifully
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen guauuuu Lars, you are playing beautifull music in this challenge ! thanks!
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Now I have the QuickTime open
I took a shot with Danza Andaluz, Granados and Granada, Albeniz.
To me such (piano
) pieces are the essence of Spain- actually to me a little more than Turina and Rodrigo I have not played them since last summer and its first take- ( in contrast to the run in Rafaga which I have played several 100 times but still very struggling) but I feel I get decently through - I hope I will find time to dust and polish them off maybe after this challenge because I am full with the 3 first
I am usually reasonable at memorizing pieces - but really bad at sight reading.
Probably because I learned guitar from winding cassette tapes back and forth
Sorry after the replay I hear the guitar is little out of tune - or I pull it out
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen Another great performance Lars, especially after several months off.
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Jack Stewart yes but Nothing compared to conquering En Los Trigales, which i hope to someday
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen I hope to conquer it someday too!
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen A great example that you should not have windows behind you in videos
. Ref to Martins livestream on video record -
Lars Kjøller-Hansen progressing well!!! and the melody is shining!
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen two of my favorite pieces for guitar! Thank you for breathing life into them and bringing them to this forum!
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen I love it
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Lars Kjøller-Hansen wow, great job. You have a great technique. All these difficult pieces seem so easy in your hands.
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Ok... I think I need to graduate in the Recording Course... =) I'll be there in "Intro to Video Editing" as well...
Well, here we have Asturias, just the first part. Slow, because I was worried about notes and not musical interpretation. I guess that in March will be fine, but I just don't know of what year... Hahahahahaha!
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Moyses Lopes This sounds really good, Moyses! I can't tell you how many times I've tried to play this, and it just seems beyond me. That rapid motion with the right hand just never clicks for me.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
